Q With the new ferry service that has started from Oakland and Alameda to South San Francisco that will hopefully support the commuter needs of Genentech, might they also be looking to get a ferry terminal built in the Menlo Park area to help support the upcoming need for Facebook? Wouldn’t it be nice to have ferry terminals in Hayward, Newark, Milpitas, Mountain View, Menlo Park, Redwood Shores, Foster City and SFO and move people across the bay as opposed to around the bay, without building additional bridges? The service that started recently was the first new ferry line in the Bay Area in 20 years. If we wait another 20 years to increase ferry operations, I can only imagine how bad traffic will have become.

Conrad Schapira

Milpitas

A A good thought, but unlikely to happen. John-the-Metropolitan-Transportation-Commission-Man says, “Given the comparatively high operating costs of ferry service, expansion plans over the next 25 years are likely to fall far short of Mr. Schapira’s vision.”

There are hopes of someday launching service from Redwood City to the Ferry Building in San Francisco or to Oakland and Alameda, but there is no timetable for this. The next new services to come online likely will connect the Ferry Building with Berkeley, Richmond and Treasure Island.

Q A big thank you needs to go out to Caltrans and contractors working on the Dumbarton Bridge over Memorial Day weekend. Expansion joint on the western side, complete. Fixed the roofs on the toll booths from prior hits by vehicles, complete. Fresh lane markings, westbound after the toll plaza to about midspan, complete. Road repair to smooth out some of the sinking roadway westbound after the toll plaza, complete. And opening the bridge ahead of the schedule, complete.

Conrad Schapira

A And taking time to compliment a job well done, complete.

Q I wanted to thank the Contra Costa Public Works maintenance division for being Johnny-on-the-spot. I called them on May 22 in late afternoon and spoke with a very nice and knowledgeable lady who said she would put in a work order to repair two potholes on our very rural country road in El Sobrante. Wow. The next day I left for work at 9:30 a.m. and it was all fixed. Now there is taxpayers’ money paid back!

Kathleen Baker

El Sobrante

A I should say so. During normal work hours, you can report pothole complaints at 925-313-7000. If it is something that could be an emergency after hours, call the sheriff’s dispatch at 925-646-2441.

Q I have sent you complaints a few times. Now I have a couple of comments on road projects. The Highway 17 repaving from the Santa Clara County line north is going great. A shout-out to the guys doing the work is in order. The Highway 1 widening from 1/17 south is fascinating to watch and is only minimally causing slowdowns. Another good job.

John Tabasz

Santa Cruz

A And in the South Bay …

Q A big thank you to whoever got the signs on Almaden Expressway southbound before Best Buy-Walmart indicating the correct lanes for 85 north and 85 south.

Larry Bickford

San Jose

A That would be Santa Clara County crews.

Q The new painted solid white line for the left turns from Blossom Hill Road onto Almaden Expressway, allowing for the three left turn lanes, are awesome. I’ve driven this area for years now and I can see how it moves much easier. The challenge will be getting people to use all three left-turn lanes. Most of the time people want to get onto Highway 85, so they crowd into the right turn lane, blocking the other lanes. The new configuration should help. This area has been a mess for a long time, but traffic hasn’t been that bad through all this construction. We’ve been pleasantly surprised.

Gary Richards has covered traffic and transportation in the Bay Area as Mr. Roadshow since 1992. Prior to that he was an assistant sports editor at the paper from 1984-1987. He started his journalism career as a sports editor in Iowa in 1975.

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